1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to infusion solutions. More specifically, this invention relates to glucose containing infusion solutions, which are especially useful for intravenous feeding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Infusion solutions serve, among other purposes, to replenish part of the blood in the event of shocks resulting from various causes. Such solutions may also be used, by injection into arteries or veins, for the purpose of supplying the organism with substances needed by the body to maintain its metabolism or to overcome illnesses. These infusion solutions contain, especially when used for intravenous feeding, considerable quantities of glucose as well as amino acids, mineral salts and the like.
When the patient is subjected to situations of stress, such as during the post-surgical phase, or when the patient is infected, his metabolism will be affected adversely. This will be evidenced by an interruption in the utilization of the glucoses and an increased rate of decomposition of the proteins which are stored by, and are important to, the body and are thus used for the supply of energy. Because of this interruption in the glucose utilization, it has not been possible heretofore to feed a patient whose metabolism was not otherwise disturbed with glucoses exclusively because there was the danger of the presence of excessive glucose, causing a hyperglycemic coma. An admixture of insulin would not be practical in this situation because any dose of insulin would require a close control of the blood sugar level, especially because the reactions of patients to doses of insulin differ greatly.
It is for this reason that during intravenous feeding under these circumstances, the glucose heretofore has been combined with fructose or other sugar substitutes, or has been replaced completely by the same. However, it has been found that these substances also have side-effects, depending upon the quantity of the dosage being used. They necessitate up to four times as many phosphorylases in the liver, and the resulting greater consumption of the energy-rich phosphates may adversely affect the liver function. Furthermore, lactate will accumulate in these cases within the total organism, and on several occasions "lactate acidosis" has been observed under such circumstances. In this connection, see Mehnert et al "Diabetologie in Klinik und Praxis" [G. Thieme, Stuttgart (1974)], pp. 18 to 23. When such sugar substitutes are used, deposits of oxalate have been found in many different parts of the body.
The search has continued for improved glucose-containing infusion solutions. This invention was made as a result of that search.